Left.Right.Repeat - CLoSED for the season - will reopen Jan 2013 (Page 23)

Thanks, all. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. I am doing okay. And you are all right, in that I also believe things do happen for a reason, and that you have to focus on your todays, cuz there might not be any tomorrows. I will admit I freaked a bit when I heard about Scott - a mitral valve replacement survivor and a great triathlete coach - when you are a 2-time cardiac survivor, it hits home how whatever part got fixed might run out of warranty at any given moment, even if you are physically active.

Anyway, the nutrition question... I also do Infinit on the bike. But 6 hours of it, or anything else, doesn't make me want to drink it for another 6 (yeah, I DID mention I was slow, right?). Timing wise, I came out of T1 for IMFL 2011 realizing the Garmin was still set on run timing, so rather than mess with it, I just used the beep-every-mile as a reminder to make sure I drank. It made a BIG difference as I know I have a tendency to get mentally into the chasing-the-next-rabbit game and not drinking enough.

With that process, I felt like I was nutritionally more prepared for the run. On the run I alternated aid stations...1 was water and perform...2 water only, or with a handful of grapes to take if they had them...3 water,perform...etc. when it started getting dark it got a little cooler, and they brought out chicken broth, which i switched off the Perform to the broth every other station. The salt in it helped keep away any substantial loss.

Briana is right though, as is Billy... the best thing to do is play with it on training days. After all, the non-A races are just "catered training days" anyway, right?

When you mention the infinit, I have a few questions after reading about it

• did you guys use the personal dietician to figure out what the best infinit for you would be or did you just use their online questionnaire?  I am not sure what I even want or need...
• How are their flavors? 
• Can you buy it in stores to try out in  advance before jumping in and placing an online order?

 it seems a little hard to decide what to get if you haven't tried any of their stuff before.  Although attractive as I have heard a lot of good things about it

Pam, unfortunately, you can't buy Infinit in the store, so you basically have to jump in and order it.  It is a little pricey to "try" because if you don't like it or it doesn't work, you have the whole bag left.  

With that said, when I was ready to try it, I called them.  I guess I got the dietician, but honestly don't recall.  I do know that I did not pay anything for the consultation.  She asked me what I was training for, how much I weighed, how often I work out, what were my workout conditions (I live in Texas, so hot), how much I sweat (do I have salt on me after a workout), do I like a stronger taste or less of a taste, etc.  All questions to help her determine how to set the formula.

I may be lucky, but that first formula seemed to taste great and work well, so I have not tweaked it at all.  I know others felt like the taste was too strong or something else was off, so they try to change a little bit on the next order.

It can never hurt to give them a call and ask them all your questions.  

I took a longer break than I expected.  Here's the cliff notes version:

1. Training derailed with insane respiratory infection somewhere around valentitne's day - ok probably the day after the historic national one mile run. 

2. Husband hits the wall with some kind of debilitating osteoarthritis - gets cortisone shots - two weeks after cortisone he's back to square one - worried I'm going to wake up in the morning and have a bedridden sleep deprived monster on my hands.  Pain hits 7-8 constantly with spikes to 9.5 (on a sclae of 10) in the morning no mater what pain releiver they give him.  Takes 30 minutes to get out of the bed.  Doesn't sleep at all.  At all. Schedules appointment with accupucture/kinesthesiologist (not sure if I spelled either of those right)

2.a.  7yo Daughter in prolonged asthma flare (due to idiot urgent care doctor sending me home with cough syrup: note to self, never go to urgent care again) - doing nebulizer every 3 hours (night, school, you name it, on and off for weeks).  Finally get high dose prednisone.  Ah, peace, she's sleeping, but I'm still not.

3. Finally get meds (heavy antibiotics, prednisone, albuterol) for respiratory crap.  Mostly clears up after 10 days but still lingers.  Figure I'll just have this ... stuff for the rest of my life.  Very happy to have the inhaler and an asthma diagnosis though.  Life is better so I'm willing to accept the mild version on a long term basis in exchange.

4. Husband sees kinesthesiologist, starts accupuncture, and we switch to "paleo/primal" (google robb wolf, sarah fargaso, or mark sisson) type eating plan mid March: no grain, no dairy, no legumes.  No weighing, no measuring, no counting.  Meat, eggs, veggies, nuts, fat, and fruit plus a little cheese and chocolate .  For a girl who likes to eat, and cook, this seems like a bad idea. 

5. Life steadily improves for 6 weeks - all respiratory junk (even the stuff the antibiotics and prednisone didn't quite clear) clears up in a week. All of it, even the inner ear stuff.  No sugar crashes, no mood swings, AND ... no HEADACHES.

6.  Today:  I'm down 12 pounds and I've lost at least 4 inches around my waist, I have worked out three times this week and met with a trainer to increase my weight program.  Sticking with very low hr for cardio. Trying never to get above 75% of maximum and feeling great all the time. As in waking-up-before-the-alarm great.  Husband completely off statin medication (oh I forgot to mention that) and only needs a few advil every day, logging about 5 miles a day in his vibrams - far from bedridden.

HOWEVER, I AM NOW THREE MONTHS BEHIND.  So "training" for the rest of the year will be about listening to my body, going slow, doing what feels right, pitching the training plans, having fun, and seeing what happens.  I will not be following a training plan, but I will try to log.  I don't expect to race until 2013, but I expect NOT to do it in the Athena category. 

Stay tuned.

Suzie, amazing!

Lena, I really miss you!

Suzie, Welcome back!  I too have missed you.

And awesome job on the great recovery at your house.  It looks like the whole family is gaining in health after the miserable spring!  I admire your tenacity in sticking with it, it really is about the journey in the end.  

I set up an appointment for a call. Just from the look of it I will go for the fruit punch flavor.  I am hoping for something that works and enables me to work out without feeling so super exhausted all the time (although I am sure not traveling to Europe every month will help - did I mention I have a new job, Yay!!!)  Most people think their formulas are great so I am excited.

I admit, I cannot figure out their do it yourself questionnaire it seems decidedly unscientific, so I am hoping the live person will be of more help. Are you salty or crusty after a work out, really, that's a question?  I will ask my dogs next time i get in from a work-out as they lick my legs enthusiastically.   I am sure this question has a purpose it just seems so funny....

Maybe I am not salty or crusty after working out or I would know?  Another possibility is that I do not work out hard enough?   Don't really mean to make light of it, or maybe just a little

....

Don't know that it's more of a guy thing because I frequently have salt on me after a workout.  Maybe not always so much that you see it on my clothes, but enough that I can see it and feel it on my body.  After last night's workout I could definitely feel it on my face.  

Suzie, so happy to hear that things are getting better for you and your family.

I did the questionnaire for Infinit but I would prefer to speak to a real person.  I requested a call but not quite sure if they will call me or not.  I find it odd that I have no caffeine in my mix.  Pam, I too thought the questions were a little off but I understand what they are asking.

I gave in and went back to my physical therapist about my nagging hamstring.  Not quite sure how to take the news I got.  We are going to take an aggressive approach and right now I am steroids, in hopes that the imflammation will go down, if that doesn't work then they will schedule an MRI and figure out what to do next after that.  

Suzie, so glad to see your face lightup the screen again!!  Sorry to hear that spring has not been kind to you and your family.  Gald to hear it sounds like you are turning the corner!!  Glad you have a plan.  Life is all about adjusting.  I will pray for continued improvements for all.  Personally, I am struggling with recurrent headaches that I believe are sinus in origin.  Maybe I will PM you more info. Between that, my exercise induced, tachycardia and a chronically inflamed periformous (SP??) I am struggling (but still training hard) and it sounds like you have found some answers.

Lena,  have I already said what a wealth of information you are??  You always astound me!!  I glean so much from your posts, so although I don't always have itme to comment, Thank You !!

Got it the link, thanks.

Happy B Day (tomorrow) to you know who.  Make it a good one.